Considering parts for a new pc

[Iron_Halo]

heya all, i'm extremely new to this sort of thing but i thought i'd give building my own pc a try and at the moment i'm a bit stuck for which parts to order. I've had a bit of a look around newegg and picked out some parts, but i'm honestly not sure if the rig will be any good, or even work properly.

Anyway here's my list so far, i'll be getting everything from monitors to motherboards, and hoping to do some high end gaming with it all.

Case: COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119137

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139002

MoBo: NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813188024

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115037

Harddrive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148231

RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (either x2 or x4)
DDR2http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

CD drive: ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135176

Sound card: HT OMEGA CLARO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829271002

Video Card: GeForce 9800 GX2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150300

Cooling: Not sure what i'll need, ZALMAN CNPS9700 looks good though
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835118019

Keyboard: Logitech G11
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...logitech%20g11

Mouse: Logitech MX518
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...gitech%20MX518

Monitor: SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001268

Speakers: Logitech Z-5500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...itech%20Z-5500

OS: Vista ultimate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116213

That's it so far, like i said earlier i'm very new so i'm feeling a bit lost atm, any feedback or help would be great

[shadowpr]

I have a few suggestions, but first, what is your budget?

[Iron_Halo]

open to negotiation at this stage, but i'd like to keep it within $3000 if at all possible

[Doom]

For under $3000 you're completely money with this list. First of all... the build you have should work just fine and be a pretty darn good rig for gaming. Here are my component thoughts...

- Case: This case rocks. I made my last computer with it and it's very good for first time builds.
- Mobo: This is more expensive than others out there (namely many ASUS boards)... and SLI is a nice option but not 100% worth the money. That being said, it's a good board and the one I use.
- PSU / CPU: Good choices. You should be able to move to a E8500 within your budget I think.
- Hard Drive: Why so small?
- RAM: I prefer Corsair, but I've heard no complaints on G-Skill. RAM is cheap (relatively), so I recommend 4 GB.
- Optical: You should be able to get a DVD-R and have burn capability for only about $20 more.
- Cooler: Save your money. If you don't intend to overclock... you get a heat-sink and fan with the chip. The only reason to get another type of chip cooler is if you intend to OC or if you get an OEM chip.
- Sound Card: Scrap this. The mobo has good onboard sound.
- GPU: Good pick...if you're final budget allows, you may be able to go up to a GTX 260. Don't worry about doing an SLI eventually... better to get a single kick-butt card to begin with.
- OS: Probably overkill on the ultimte. Most folks are happy with the home premiere that runs for only $89 anymore.

Check out the most recent build in my signature. I think you'll find it remarkably similar to yours. Without a monitor and speakers, the whole setup cost me under $1300 after rebates and performs very well.

[Iron_Halo]

Thanks heaps for the advice!
with the cooler i was just worried that the bigger cards would make too much heat, but if the case/card can handle it then i can save a bit.
I guess i'll drop the sound card, get the 4 GB ram and see if i can fit in the better GPU and CPU, if i rule out SLI is it worth switching to a cheaper MoBo? if i do that would i then need a sound card?

I'll probobly start tallying prices to get a more final list up

[Doom]

Most boards either come with integrated sound or (like some ASUS boards) an included sound card. If you go with a cheaper mobo...check out the ASUS series. I see them recommended here and other places more than any other. Gigabyte is a good third option.

Again... if you OC it creates a lot of heat. Otherwise, the CM-690 or the Antec 900 both have very good stock cooling. The CM 690 has four fans and places to put three more if you wanted to. Case fans are cheap if you ever find you need one.

Keep in mind my opinion is singular. Check out other posts in these forums to get opinions of others, and anything shadowpwr replies with is good advice.

[shadowpr]

MB: Asus P5Q-pro
CPU: E8500
HD: Seagate 7200.11 500gb sata
Ram: Corsair 2x2gb ddr2-800 (unless you plan on overclocking.)
DVD: Lite-on dvd burner sata retail lightscribe
Video: 280

Would only get Vista home premium. Don't think the extra few things that ultimate includes are worth it.

Also, drop the heatsink (unless overclocking).

Check out the keyboard and mouse in a store to see if you like them first.

[Iron_Halo]

thanks for the advice, i'm starting to get a final picture together, just got to check space/compatability.

Is it worth getting a quad core CPU if i go for a top of the line card or is duo core powerful enough? I see alot of ready built systems with the quad core option, but i think duo would be enough for the multi taking i do (mainly just games + music and/or vent, maybe a webpage)

[shadowpr]

It depends. Either would be good enough for gaming, but you can save money by getting a faster dual core over a quad core.

I personally went with a dual on my main build, and have ben happy with it.

[Doom]

I like quad cores... but I've often got a dozen or so windows up for working. If you go dual core, you can get faster speed for a better price. If you can fit a solid quad core (2.66GHz or above for example) into your budget, that might "future proof" your system a little more.

I typically recommend dual core for folks who want the fastest speed and are on a more restricted budget. I prefer quad cores overall if a budget can afford it.

[Iron_Halo]

Hey again, i've been doing a bit of research over at Tom's Hardware to compare some of the higher end graphics cards, and i'm thinking that a radeon 4870 may be the way to go based on this article
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...n,2007-35.html
Mainly because it's quieter and cheaper than the GeForce cards while delivering (what i assume is) comparable graphics power. Also the Asus P5Q-pro can run cards in crossfire so i can consider that path for upgrades in the future. Please let me know if this all sounds like sound logic

Atm i'm thinking about buying my parts overseas becuase i'm going to hong kong within a month and the markets their have cheap hardware. I'm just worried about transpoting them back on the plane with out getting them damaged. I'd probably leave them in their packaging and put them in a suitcase - would this be enough protection?

[wildfire]

I'd say to skip the GTX 260/GTX 280/9800GX2. Go with a 4870 and an Asus P5Q or P5Q-Pro. The price would be cheaper. The 4870 is also on par with the GTX 280, sometimes slower, sometimes faster but pretty even.

And you said that your budget is 3000. That's a bit much but if you're intended on it, you could go for a quad-core/go crossfire.

Oh and if anything, don't get Vista Ultimate, stick with Vista Home Premium. Much better pricing.

Originally Posted by Iron_Halo Atm i'm thinking about buying my parts overseas becuase i'm going to hong kong within a month and the markets their have cheap hardware. I'm just worried about transpoting them back on the plane with out getting them damaged. I'd probably leave them in their packaging and put them in a suitcase - would this be enough protection?

No idea here.

[SCKiller]

Ya I just built my first system with a 4870 and it runs awesome so far. Go with the sapphire 1GB, this one has much quieter cooling than others. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102801

[phigdon]

i recommend this HDD, great capacity and cheap with a 32meg cache.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148288

[Doom]

Listening to you guys... I may be persuaded to go ATI in the near future.